Which Os To Buy?

[A_Traveller]

^ Just a warning the Home Premium version has, in personal experience, some networking issues, [this has been tacitly acknowledged by MS] compared to Business or Ultimate. However, this is unlikely to affect the OP unless the system is being hard-wire networked to older kit.

Regards

[ignis]

Vista Ultimate for me....

If you install something and it is not for Vista a pop up appears asking if you want to download the program with Vista drivers, So I have software running which I bought in 1998 and just clicked the Vista pop up re installing using.......

Edited July 7, 2009 by ignis

[A_Traveller]

A question for the OP. You note you are 'buying a new computer'. To clarify, how, in other words buying components and building your own, go to a shop which builds them to spec. or buying a pre-built [e.g. Acer, HP, etc.] system?

Regards

/edit typo//

Edited July 7, 2009 by A_Traveller

[RKASA]

One more question for those of you who are familiar with Vista (in case I decide to get it).... which Vista??? I mainly need the computer for work (esp. word processor and translation programs) but, of course, I also have pictures, videos etc. (no games). Would it be better to get the Home Premium or the Business and why are many of you complaining about he Ultimate?

No need to buy anything more than the Vista Home Premium, it's cheaper than the Business version but it should support your needs just fine. You can have a look here to see a Vista comparison from Microsoft.

No games and a few xp centrix programs.

Image the xp you have with the programs installed and load it into virtual mode on a linux host.  Only use xp as an appication when you need those programs and they will run forever you have the disk you made with them preinstalled.  You can still load more if wanted and reimage it for back up and fast reinstalls, a need windows will never get away from.  It can be reg. in virtual and get updates etc. just fine.  In linux your not limited to one desktop.  You can run up to 20 at the same time 24/7.  I am not talking windows open I mean desktop with their own windows open. 

Do everything else safer and free in linux,  unless you can list something you need a high end PC for you may not even need to replace the one you have.  amount saved 100%  PS if you want win7 later you can put it in virtual as well thats where I run both XP pro and win7rc at.  Then you have three os at your finger tips without rebooting.

IMHO vista is already a dud and history, forget about it.  Wait for win7.

[mdechgan]

Use Xp until the very last days of your system. I had to use vista on my laptop because it did not support Xp and am not pleased. Other than the pretty looks it asks for confirmation for everything you do, really takes up resources and ram, makes your computer slower, and what I hate is that most of my important programs don't work anymore. The network sharing and internet wireless connections even became super complicated. What really bothers me most is the that some of the websites I use that are really important like internet banking are no longer possible with vista. Eventhough I use IE7 on Xp it doesn't work on IE7 in vista.

If I had no choice and had to use vista I would still keep my old Xp system around for backup.

[wimpy]

I have XP running in a virtual machine for the one windows app I can't live without.

OK now you have got me really curious, which windows app is that? ? ?

QuoteTracker. A stock market trading application only available in a Windoze version. For everything else I do, I have found very good native Linux apps.

[garyh]

One more question for those of you who are familiar with Vista (in case I decide to get it).... which Vista??? I mainly need the computer for work (esp. word processor and translation programs) but, of course, I also have pictures, videos etc. (no games). Would it be better to get the Home Premium or the Business and why are many of you complaining about he Ultimate?

No need to buy anything more than the Vista Home Premium, it's cheaper than the Business version but it should support your needs just fine. You can have a look here to see a Vista comparison from Microsoft.

No games and a few xp centrix programs.

Image the xp you have with the programs installed and load it into virtual mode on a linux host.  Only use xp as an appication when you need those programs and they will run forever you have the disk you made with them preinstalled.  You can still load more if wanted and reimage it for back up and fast reinstalls, a need windows will never get away from.  It can be reg. in virtual and get updates etc. just fine.  In linux your not limited to one desktop.  You can run up to 20 at the same time 24/7.  I am not talking windows open I mean desktop with their own windows open. 

Do everything else safer and free in linux,  unless you can list something you need a high end PC for you may not even need to replace the one you have.  amount saved 100%  PS if you want win7 later you can put it in virtual as well thats where I run both XP pro and win7rc at.  Then you have three os at your finger tips without rebooting.

IMHO vista is already a dud and history, forget about it.  Wait for win7.

Are you saying games like COD4 and Crysis will run this way?

[RKASA]

One more question for those of you who are familiar with Vista (in case I decide to get it).... which Vista??? I mainly need the computer for work (esp. word processor and translation programs) but, of course, I also have pictures, videos etc. (no games). Would it be better to get the Home Premium or the Business and why are many of you complaining about he Ultimate?

No need to buy anything more than the Vista Home Premium, it's cheaper than the Business version but it should support your needs just fine. You can have a look here to see a Vista comparison from Microsoft.

No games and a few xp centrix programs.

Image the xp you have with the programs installed and load it into virtual mode on a linux host.  Only use xp as an appication when you need those programs and they will run forever you have the disk you made with them preinstalled.  You can still load more if wanted and reimage it for back up and fast reinstalls, a need windows will never get away from.  It can be reg. in virtual and get updates etc. just fine.  In linux your not limited to one desktop.  You can run up to 20 at the same time 24/7.  I am not talking windows open I mean desktop with their own windows open. 

Do everything else safer and free in linux,  unless you can list something you need a high end PC for you may not even need to replace the one you have.  amount saved 100%  PS if you want win7 later you can put it in virtual as well thats where I run both XP pro and win7rc at.  Then you have three os at your finger tips without rebooting.

IMHO vista is already a dud and history, forget about it.  Wait for win7.

Are you saying games like COD4 and Crysis will run this way?

The post is for the OP which stated no games so why would that matter.  and I said "unless you can list something you need a high end PC for you may not even need to replace the one you have" I run a native install of XP pro on my 3ghz FSB1333 8400 duo core intel nvdia8600GS with a flat screen for NASCAR sims.  no you don't run that in virtual mode and it won't run on win7 ether and you can bet that pisses me off.

[Digitalbanana]

Hi everyone

I'm buying a new computer soon and after lots of online research I still can't decide which OS to buy for it (I would like to buy the original software).

There's all this talk about Vista not being so much better than XP and now this Windows 7 is rumored to show up soon. So, what to do? Is it worth buying the Vista just to have to dump it in a few months? Or just keep the good old XP for now and wait? Any thoughts? Thanks!

If you buy a new PC with Vista already installed you'll mostly likely get a free upgrade to Win7 when it comes out.

Forget all the people how say XP works for me. My mother in laws 20 year AM/FM hi-fi still works for her but it is lacking a few features found on newer models on sale in the supermarket at a fraction the price she paid.

[sjaak327]

You willl get a free update to Windows 7 when you buy Vista now (as is publicly announced by Microsoft). Regarding Ultimate, indeed the extras didn't amount to much in the end, but still it delivered what I got it for, all the functionality of home premium (inlcuding media Centre) and those of business (including domain connectivity).

With the usage you listed, Vista business might be a very good choice, also this offfers you additional flexiblity, as when you purchase Vista Business with your new pc, you can legally upgrade to Windows 7 business free of charge, you can also downgrade to XP professional legally and free of charge (the other sku that offers the same flexiblity being vista ultimate). In any case, buying your OS with a new machine, and certainly with any of the bigger OEM's will yield a rock bottom price as opposed to getting your Windows 7 license later via the retail channel.

Edited July 7, 2009 by sjaak327

[webfact]

XP, went to vista and then went back XP. Win7 when it first comes out will have bugs.. wait a year or two until its stable and just skip over vista. Vista sucks.

I'll second that!

Am I supposed to change my car/buy a new one if the old one still runs and is doing a good job?

I never replace something which works for me on my computers. And that was/is the case with XP.

Yes, one day I will test W7, sure - with SP2 available. Until I stick with my ol' mate...

[Searcher25]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned a much better alternative: Buy an Apple computer. After owning Windows based machines for over 15 years, when it came time to replace my aging Dell, I knew that I did not want the hassles of Vista. Took many trips to the iStore and played around with their computers.

Finally broke down and bought one - and never looked back. Faster, more reliable, and more secure. For those Windows based applications that you simply cannot live without, the Leopard OS has a "boot camp" utility that allows you to partition the hard drive and install XP on one partition. That's what I did. Works flawlessly.

I have a 15 inch MacBookPro and a 24 inch display. By far the best display I've ever had. When it comes time to get a new system will go for another Apple system. Simply no comparison Leopard OS and Microsoft's offerings.

[sjaak327]

I was unable to edit my previous post, just to be complete, the free upgrade to windows 7 action only applies to home premium, business and ultimate and only with participating OEM's if buying the OS with a new pc. The retail copies of those three are in any case free upgradable to windows 7, but considering the price difference, it's much better to purchase the OEM version.

Participating OEM"s in thailand:

http://www.microsoft.com/thailand/windows/...rs/upgrade.aspx

Edited July 7, 2009 by sjaak327

[NanLaew]

I was a reluctant user of Vista; I needed a premium laptop ASAP and the one I got came with Vista Business (and notably without the subsequent 'rollback to XP' options). I was really worried when brand new, out of the box and connected to the 'net, Windows Updater said I had around 30 patches and updates that took over an hour to download and install... and that was on Comcast cable internet in the US!

However, apart from one dodgy networking experience while offshore, the Vista experience has had no more and no less drama than XP, 2000 and the predecessors. I think Vista is being unfairly likened to Me in that it was a stepping stone from something old and working to something newer and bug ridden. Me was considered a disaster (although I only ever had one machine using that o/s and that was relatively drama free). I think MS worked harder to get Vista's initial bugs sorted out but most people, many of them working with beta-test versions, were once bitten, twice shy and wrote it off unreservedly and possibly undeservedly.

I still like XP and it's 'reliability' but to be honest, the newest versions of Vista are light-years beyond the initial release and the OP should install that, especially if it does allow a 'free upgrade' to 7 at a later date.

BTW, My father emailed me with a news article that the European version of 7 will NOT come with an 'upgrade' option, only a pure, clean disk fresh install. This is due to the Euro version having IE8 stripped out of it (I think this is a legal requirement?) and MS aren't going to try and reverse engineer an upgrade version that may or may not crash anyone's system that is already happily using Vista with a working IE7 or IE8. Makes sense; no need to invite a critical disaster on a new product rollout regardless of how spotty your history of o/s startups may be.

[garyh]

XP, went to vista and then went back XP. Win7 when it first comes out will have bugs.. wait a year or two until its stable and just skip over vista. Vista sucks.

I'll second that!

Am I supposed to change my car/buy a new one if the old one still runs and is doing a good job?

I never replace something which works for me on my computers. And that was/is the case with XP.

Yes, one day I will test W7, sure - with SP2 available. Until I stick with my ol' mate...

So how is your Model T I hear the air conditioner never breaks in those.

[webfact]

XP, went to vista and then went back XP. Win7 when it first comes out will have bugs.. wait a year or two until its stable and just skip over vista. Vista sucks.

I'll second that!

Am I supposed to change my car/buy a new one if the old one still runs and is doing a good job?

I never replace something which works for me on my computers. And that was/is the case with XP.

Yes, one day I will test W7, sure - with SP2 available. Until I stick with my ol' mate...

So how is your Model T I hear the air conditioner never breaks in those.

yeah, Porsche 911 is a very reliable car...

[verydumbubba]

It will be interesting to watch Europe get onto the Net to download FF3.xx so that they can go browsing, or do they all carry a spare in their pockets, next to the chewing tobacco and croissants.

At least M$ latest & greatest will be virus free, so long as they are off the net, albeit a little boring.

Bubba

[NanLaew]

Good point! Without an embedded web browser, how will the new Win 7E user ever get onto the internet? Everyone uses IE at least once to access the 'net the first time and download the better alternative browsers so I wonder what browser MS will be recommending to their EU customers. As far as I know IE7 and IE8 are not standalone programs... at know I can't uninstall the dam_n thing which is still DOA on my laptop!

[verydumbubba]

Some smart cookie in France is going to start selling IE to everyone for big bucks!!

Bubba

[manuchaomk]

o/s XP !! you won't have problems with this super-tested OS (it works great on every machine....laptops,cases,netbooks,...

forget (suggestion) ...VISTA : it's a shame ! (...bad O/S...slows your processes and lot of problems..)

forget (suggestion, valuta date 08.07.09)...Windows 7 (never buy/install a new OS version...even if is not a Beta Vrs.!. Let make the guinea-pig to the others... :-))

[verydumbubba]

aka Beta testers

Bubba

[sjaak327]

o/s XP !! you won't have problems with this super-tested OS (it works great on every machine....laptops,cases,netbooks,...

forget (suggestion) ...VISTA : it's a shame ! (...bad O/S...slows your processes and lot of problems..)

forget (suggestion, valuta date 08.07.09)...Windows 7 (never buy/install a new OS version...even if is not a Beta Vrs.!. Let make the guinea-pig to the others... :-))

Yeah it will work great, never mind that you are running the most insecure OS of the three discussed here...

But I guess the OP has already decided to go with times, instead of going back to history.

[mnbcm]

Hi everyone

I'm buying a new computer soon and after lots of online research I still can't decide which OS to buy for it (I would like to buy the original software).

There's all this talk about Vista not being so much better than XP and now this Windows 7 is rumored to show up soon. So, what to do? Is it worth buying the Vista just to have to dump it in a few months? Or just keep the good old XP for now and wait? Any thoughts? Thanks!

Don't get Vista. It's a resource hog. I had 4GB Ram and a 2.5 dual core processor running on my computer and it was still slower than my XP machine. Windows 7 is looking to be the next XP quality operating system. I suggest you hold out for another couple months when it's released in October. XP is good, but Windows 7 will have many new, better features.

[datathomas]

Hi Peanut!

I worked with MS products since the good old MS-DOS. Mu experience is: Don't fall for all the fancy talk about "new" operating systems. Always wait for the first servicepack before evaluation.

If Microsoft built airplanes they would have gone out of business a long time ago. Ie. "An unpredicted error has occured. The system will now shut down", and down we go .....

Your computer does not explode or vanish just because you are using XP. On the contrary.

For the new OS you might experience "new exciting" problems as well as problems with drivers for peripherial equipment.

If you're not an nerd an just "have to have" the latest. Stick with XP. Still going strong.

Make sure you get XP drivers disk for your motherboard and/or any additional add ons.

/thomas

[leftnose]

Isn't Win 7 just a marketing name for Vista SP2?

[verydumbubba]

:D